


In Light of Later Events...

by Elizabeth Culmer (edenfalling)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Backstory, Fifteen Minute Fic, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Practicality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-05-17
Updated: 2004-05-17
Packaged: 2018-02-20 14:43:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2432540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edenfalling/pseuds/Elizabeth%20Culmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ginny was seven years old, her mother finally got around to explaining exactly who this You-Know-Who person was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Light of Later Events...

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was inspired by the 5/17/04 [15minuteficlets](http://15minuteficlets.livejournal.com) word #55. Humor or foreshadowing, depending which way you squint.

When Ginny was seven, her mother finally got around to explaining exactly who this You-Know-Who person was. He was an evil wizard called Lord Voldemort, and he wanted to rule the world and kill all Muggle-born witches and wizards. And his followers were called Death Eaters, and some of them were still around, like the Malfoys, and Ginny was to watch out for them because Death Eaters didn't just kill Muggle-borns but also anyone who disagreed with them, like Ginny's two dead uncles.

"But Harry Potter killed the bad wizard, right?" interrupted Ginny.

"That's right," said Mum.

"Was it a really big fight, with curses and fire and everything going boom?"

"Er, no," said Mum. "Nobody's quite sure what happened, but Harry Potter is only eight -- Ron's age -- so he was just a baby at the time."

"Then how'd he live?" asked Ginny.

"Because he's very special and his parents loved him very much," said Mum, "just like your father and I love you. Now run along; your father will be home soon and I have to start dinner."

Ginny went out to the front yard and amused herself by tossing pebbles at the chickens. She would have gone to find Ron, but he was off doing _boy_ things with the twins and she'd agreed to leave him alone if he went flying with her tomorrow. And Sarah Peasegood, her other friend, was stuck doing maths and things for her Muggle school. So Ginny had nothing to do but think about You-Know-Who and Harry Potter.

Even if Harry Potter was only a baby, she decided, he still must have been awfully brave. She could remember back to when she was still in her crib, just barely, and it was scary when she was alone in the dark and nobody came. It must have been lots worse to have his parents killed and an evil wizard cursing him.

So she still liked Harry Potter.

But You-Know-Who didn't make any sense. First of all, what was the point of going around killing people? Ginny didn't like hurting people, unless it was the twins and they'd just played a trick on her; she'd much rather go flying, or maybe hunt dragons like Charlie wanted to do when he left Hogwarts next year.

Even if You-Know-Who thought hurting people was good, he was still stupid. His name was stupid, and his people had a stupid name too. Who wanted to eat death anyway? That sounded icky. And he got killed trying to kill a baby, which was the stupidest way to die she'd ever heard of, except maybe the Diggory family ghost, who'd strangled himself in his bedsheets and died in his sleep.

Now if _she_ ever wanted to go around killing people, she wouldn't call herself Lady Ginevra or make up some stupid name. No, she'd be just Ginny Weasley, and nobody would know who she was; that way nobody would ever suspect her. And if she had people, she'd call them something sensible, like the Good Army. That would trick people into thinking they were the good wizards. And she really wouldn't go around cursing babies. That was just mean. Besides, what was the point of having people if you went and did everything yourself?

Ginny thought she could do a much better job of being evil than this Lord Voldemort. And nobody would ever call her something as silly as You-Know-Who.


End file.
